beazan



(NoModel.)

J. H; BEAZAN.

TROLLEY GUARD. A No. 554,571'. Patented Peb. l1, 1896.`

NITED STATES ATENT Prion.

JOHN II. BEAZAN, OF MILVAUKEE, VISOON SIN, ASSIGN OR OF THREE-FIFTHS TOMORITZ M. MEISSNER AND SAMUEL S. IVEIL, OF SAME PLACE.

TROLLEY-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 554,571, dated February11, 1896.

v Application filed March 19, 1894. Serial No. 504,206. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BEAZAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Visconsin,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trolley-Guards;and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the constructionof devices for maintaining contact between overhead electric wires andthe trolley-wheels attached to the ends of the movable arms uponelectric cars; and said invention consists in the matters hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating` my invention, Figure l is aside elevation of the upper end of a trolley-arm, together with itstrolley-wheel, and provided with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. l

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates the trolley-arm, andB the trolleywheel, which may both be of any desired or familiarconstruction.

O designates the overhead electric wire,with which the Wheel B makescontact.

Much trouble and annoyance are occasioned in the use of devices formaking contact with overhead wires, which are of any of the variouswell-known forms, from the fact that, owing to vibration of the overheadwires or of the car itself, the contact between the wire and thetrolley-wheel is frequently broken, the trolley-wheel dropping below thelevel of the wire and the upward movement of the arm causing thetrolley-Wheel to rise past the Wire at one side or the other, when itbecomes necessary to replace the wheel upon the wire.

It is often quite dificult to replace the trolley-wheel in contact withthe wire, and especially so at night.

It is to provide means for guarding against accidental displacement ofthe trolley-wheel and also to facilitate replacing the trolley incontact with the wire that my present invention is designed.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide suitable arms D D, whichare pivotally secured to the trolley-arm at opposite sides of the wheelB and are arranged to normally extend upward beyond the periphery ofsaid wheel to a considerable distance above the level of the wire, inthe manner shown in the drawings. Upon the lower ends of the piv- 6ooted arms D D are provided extensions CZ d, Which are arranged toproject considerably below the pivotal connections of said arms, and tothe extremities of theseextensions are secured suitable springs E E,which are connected at their other ends with any suitable or desiredform of rigid support attached to the trolley-arm. It follows from thisconstruction that upon encountering any obstruction either one or bothof the arms D D are free to 7o swing upon their pivotal supports inorder to pass such obstruction, when the springs will tend toautomatically return the arms to their normal position. o

It is desirable that the arms D D be maintained inea. positionsubstantially at right angles to the wire O, and inasmuch as thetrolley-arm when in use rests in aposition oblique to the wire itbecomes necessary to arrange the rigid support for the lower ends of the8o springs E E at a point somewhat distant from 4the trolley-arm, andfor this purpose I find it convenient to provide a laterally-extendingarm F, which is secured in any desired or convenient manner to thetrolley-arm A and 8 5 provided at its outer end with projecting pins ff,to which the springs are secured. As a matter of convenience, I preferto form this arm F in the manner shown in the drawings with a suitableclamp F at its end for en- 9o gagement with the outside of thetrolley-arm, which may be secured in place by means of a suitable boltf', as shown. The arm F is arranged to extend considerably to the rearof its point of support upon the trolley-arm so as to bring its rear endinto a position substantially in a vertical line with the center of thewheel when the arm is in the position shown in Fig. l. By thisarrangement the tension of the springs will serve to normally hold theIoo pivoted arms in a vertical position with respect to the wire, whileat the same time permitting a free movement of said arms in eitherdirection.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, the upper ends D D of the arms D Dare beveled upon their inner faces and are also conveniently curvedoutward at their upper extremities so as to afford a guide to readilydirect the wire into the grooved wheel. I also prefer to form thepivoted arms D D in the manner shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, said arms being bent or curved inwardly, as at d d', so as tocause the inner faces of said arms to lie close to the outer faces ofthe upper periphery of the wheel B. By this arrangement very littlespace is left between the faces of the wheel and the arms D D, and allliability of the wire getting between the wheel and one of said arms isavoided.

It follows from the described construction that by reason of theoutwardly-haring guardarms upon opposite sides of the trolley-wheel, incase of an accidental displacement of the trolley by reason of thevibration of the overhead wire or of the car itself, the arms D D,extending upwardly for a considerable distance above the wire, willprevent a lateral displacement of the wheel, and as the arm is pressedupward again by its spring-support upon the car said arms will serve toguide the wheel into position beneath the wire in an obvious manner.Furthermore by the pivotal engagement of the arms D D with the upper endof the t-rolley-arm and the arrangement of the springs E E, connectedwith the lower ends of said arms, these arms are permitted to yield ineither direction upon encountering an obstruction along the wire, so asto readily pass beneath such obstruction without in any way affectingthe contact of the wheel with the wire and without bringing any unduestrain upon the wire or its suports.

It will also be understood that by the arrangement of the flaringguard-arms D D to project above the upper periphery of the trolley-wheelin the manner described the operation of replacing the trolley incontact with the wire is rendered much easier than would be the case ifsaid arms were not employed, inasmuch as it is only necessary to directthe trolley-arm with suiieient accuracy to cause the wire to enterbetween the outer extremities of the guard-arms, when said arms willautomatically direct the wire into the groove of the trolley-wheel,whereas, if the guardarms were not e1nployed, it would be necessary toexercise greater care and todirect the trolley-arm with suiicientaccuracy to cause the overhead wire to enter the groove in the wheelitself.

By myimprovement, therefore, a great saving of time is effected from thefact that accidental displacement of thetrolley-wheel is avoided, andthe operation off-placing the trolley in contact with the wire when thisbecomes necessary, as at the end of a route, is greatly facilitated.Furthermore, accidents to the trolley mechanism and also to the overheadwires and their supports, due to accidental displacement of thetrolley-wheel, are also avoided b y the employment of my improveddevice.

I would have it understood that I do not desire to limit myself to theexact form of construction illustrated in the drawings and hereindescribed, as various modifications in the details of construction mightbe made without departure from my original invention, and any form ofdevice of this nature in which is employed a pair of pivoted guardarmsarranged to normally extend upward upon opposite sides of the overheadwire I would regard as coming within the scope of my said originalinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination with a trolley-arm and its wheel, of a pair ofupwardly-divergent guard-arms pivotally supported upon the upper end ofthe trolley-arm and arranged to extend at their upper ends considerablyabove the periphery of the wheel, downwardly-extending projections uponsaid arms below their pivotal supports, an arm upon the rear side ofthe, trolley-arm terminating at a point substantially beneath the centerof the trolley-wheel when the latter is engaged with the wire, andsuitable connections between said extension and the extensions upon saidguardarms for normally sustaining the latter at substantially rightangles to the wire, substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination with a trolley-arm and its wheel of a pair ofupwardly-divergent guard-arms pivotally supported upon the upper end ofthe trolley-arm, and arranged to extend at their upper ends considerablyabove the upper periphery of the wheel, downwardly-extending projectionsupon said arms below their pivotal supports, a suitable arm secured tothe trolley arm and arranged to extend rearwardly therefrom to a pointsubstantially beneath the center of the trolleywheel, when in engagementwith the wire, and suitable springs connecting the outer end of saidrearwardly-extending arln and the lower ends of the extensions upon saidguardarms substantially as described.

3. The combination with a trolley-arm and its wheel, of arearwardly-proj eetin g arm detaehably clamped to the` upper end of saidtrolle r-arm and arranged to terminate at a point substantially beneaththe center of the wheel when the latter is in engagement with the wire,a pair of upwardly-divergent guardarms pivotally secured to the axis ofthe wheel, and arranged to extend at their upper ends somewhat above theupper periphery of IOO IIO

the wheel, and provided below their pivotal supports withdownwardly-extending projections, and independent spring Connectionsbetween the rear end of said first-mentioned arm and the lower ends ofsaid extensions upon the guard-arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN H. BEAZAN. Vitnesses JOHN E. WILES, M. M. WILEs.

